124 



Canadian Forestry Journal. 



Ascending a Rapid 



the Manitou rapids is composed of 

 areas of occasional j^ranite rock 

 ■outcrop, worn down to the general 

 level of the country by the glaciers 

 of the glacial period. 



Further down the Nelson river to- 

 wards Hudson Bay the country is 

 practically level, with a slight 

 northern exposure. The divides be- 

 tween river courses are very low, 

 and it is not uncommon to find a 

 muskeg situated on the divides. 



There is a moderate slope down 

 toward the Bay, and it occurs in 

 east and west undulations, so that 

 there is no drainage except by the 

 Nelson river down to the Bay. 



The Work of the Party. 



The work of the ])arty was of the 

 nature of a reconnaissance survey, 

 with the object of determining the 

 nature of the forest cover, especial- 

 ly with regard to the suitability of 

 the timber for railway ties. 



The Forest Growth. 



The type of the tree-growth is 

 spruce-tamarack-poplar-pine. Black 

 spruce predominates, associated with 

 tamarack on semi-muskeg areas. 



on the Kettle River. 



Aspen and jack pine occur in mix- 

 ture with the spruce on ridges and 

 along water courses. 



Black spruce is primarily a swamp 

 tree, and is a common inhabitant of 

 cold poorly-drained muskegs, so is 

 a typical tree for this country. It 

 occurs in pure, dense stands pro- 

 ducing trees small in diameter and 

 stunted in growth. 



Jack pine and aspen occur on very 

 limited areas and in small quantities 

 throughout the territory. The type 

 disappears entirely 100 miles from 

 Hudson Bay. 



Fire and its Work. 



Fire is the greatest destructive 

 agent in this country at the present 

 time. Nearly the whole area cover- 

 ed, it was found, had been burned 

 over within the last fifty years. The 

 spruce forests are peculiarly expos- 

 ed to the danger of fire in dry sea- 

 sons. The trees are small in size 

 and of coniferous species and grow 

 in dense stands. This combination 

 of (qualities renders the forest espec- 

 ially subject t6 fire. A fire sweep- 

 ing through a stand of black spruce, 

 if it does not completely destroy the 



